Joystick Jolter

About Me

About Me....HA, HA, HA...DO YOU REALLY CARE....I'M AN OLD GOAT, AND MAYBE ONE OF THE OLDEST ATARI..ITES ON ATARI AGE.
I BECAME INVOLVED IN AND WITH ATARI IN THE EARLY 1980s. AS A PARENT(GOOD ONE,, I THINK), I BOUGHT MY SON AN ATARI
2600 IN THE EARLY DAYS OF GAMING. I BECAME VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE POOR GAMES THAT WERE COMING OUT AND STEALING
MONEY FROM ME AND THE MANY OTHER PARENTS SPENDING HARD EARNED MONEY ON GARBAGE GAMES. THE FINAL STRAW CAME
WITH PAC-MAN, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT. I DECIDED I HAD TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP PEOPLE KNOW BEFORE THEY
BUY THIS GARBAGE JUST HOW GOOD OR BAD IT WAS. SINCE ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE THEN IN MAGAZINES WAS MONTHS BEHIND
THE RELEASE OF THE GAMES I SET OUT TO FIND A WAY TO HELP. I DECIDED A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER WOULD PROBABLY BE THE EASIEST
WAY TO TRY TO COMMUNICATE THE WORTH OF NEW GAMES TO THE PUBLIC. THE JOYSTICK JOLTER WAS BORN. IT WAS A MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER THAT QUICKLY GREW IN CIRCULATION TO A COUPLE THOUSAND SUBSCRIBERS. A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF MY SUBSCRIBERS
WERE ACTUALLY STORES. ADVERTISING IN A TRADE PUBLICATION BUILT MY LIST FAST. MANY STORE OWNERS WERE GETTING STUCK WITH
GAMES THAT WERE NOT WORTH THE PAPER BOX THEY WERE IN. MY NEWSLETTER WOULD GIVE THEM REVIEWS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THE
GAMES WOULD BE RELEASED SO THEY WERE USING IT AS TO HOW MANY PIECES TO ORDER. THE GAME MAGAZINES OF THE TIME AND FOR
THAT MATTER STILL TODAY HAVE A FEW MONTH LAG TIME. BEFORE I KNEW IT I WAS A REGULAR ON A WEEKLY CABLE TV SHOW AND WAS
SHOWING AND DISCUSSING "NEW" GAMES. I MUST SAY IT WAS QUITE AN EXCITING TIME. THE MID 80 VIDEO GAME CRASH SENT ME OUT
THE DOOR AND INTO THE HOME COMPUTER FIELD WHICH HAD A CRASH OF ITS OWN SOON THEREAFTER. I HAD A 30 MINUTE CABLE TV
SHOW THAT WAS CARRIED ON THE NOW DEFUNCT CTN(CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK OF NEW JERSEY), WHICH WENT INTO EVERY CABLE HOME IN THE
STATE. THAT WAS MILLIONS OF HOMES. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN AS WELL AS WORK...I GUESS THE MOST EXCITING AND INTERESTING TIME
WAS AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE KITCHEN. STEVE CAME IN WITH AN ACTIVISION PRESS PERSON FOR A SHORT INTERVIEW. THE CAMERA'S
WERE ROLLING AND HE AND I CARRIED ON FOR CLOSE TO THREE HOURS. IT WAS AMAZING. I'M SURE HE STILL REMEMBERS IT AS WELL.
THE INTERVIEW WAS CUT DOWN AND COVERED A COMPLETE 30 MINUTE SHOW. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST I EVER DID AND THE BEST
30 MINUTES I EVER SAW ON GAMING ON TV. I WISH I STILL HAD THE TAPE, BUT IT WAS LOST WITH MOST OF MY STUFF IN A BASEMENT
FLOOD MANY YEARS AGO. DURING MY YEARS THAT I WAS INVOLVED WITH GAMING IT WAS REALLY IN ITS INFANCY. I CAN REMEMBER THE
DAYS TALKING ON THE SHOW ABOUT WHAT THE COMPUTER WOULD BE TO US SOME DAY. BOY WAS I NAIVE, FOR THAT MATTER WAS THE
WORLD NAIVE. I'VE GOT A MILLION STORIES I COULD TALK ABOUT HERE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BORE ANYONE. HOPE THIS GIVES YOU AN
IDEA WHY I HAVE THE THINGS I'M SELLING AND A LITTLE ABOUT WHO I AM.....ANTHONY....."THE JOYSTICK JOLTER"